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The Sovereignty in HALO's Universe
'The Sovereignty & HALO' The Halo franchise has captured my imagination as few things have. I guess because of it's Originality, and the richly-detailed Universe, the back-history and that it's a tale of War, Humanity and ultimately Hope. Like others, I have a mind that longs to wander and play in other's sandboxes, but with Respect, as it's Unthinkable to damage the franchises that I love so much. This means a LOT of nit-picking work to be sure I do no harm to Canon and Continuity. But the Galaxy, is a big place. 'Galactic History (Alternate)' Selinianity has a continuous history spanning 150 Millennia, and they were an interstellar presence of some note back in the days when The Forerunners were the main force in the Galaxy, and the two had their conflicts with each other. They survived, as a species and a Civilization, the HALO Activation, although they could only shield one world, thus their Galactic population was drastically reduced. Still, they survived, and lost nothing...and possess the longest continuous history Extant in the Galaxy. Because of the Unique way in which Selinianity began, and that they had The Prime Mother, Lyllith, to guide them for 2 Millenia, they achieved in a very short span of time what took other species tens of millenia to achieve. By the time the Forerunners knew of Selinianity's existence, they were too powerful to try dominating as the Forerunners had all other species and were alarmed at the level of technological sophistication in addition to how utterly unfamiliar Selinian technology was. By the time the two civilizations truly encountered each other, Selinian technology was rivalling Forerunner tech, and in some ways was superior to Forerunner technology as well as being very different and distinct from Forerunner or Precursor technology. Overall, the Forerunners were reluctant to stir up trouble with an interstellar presence as large, organized and powerful as Selinianity...especially given how different and ruthlessly efficient their technology was. Selinian starships typically began Engagements by way of missiles, fighters and combat drones at distances of 90 AU (1 Astronomical Unit = 8 Light Minutes, or 8 x 90 Light Minutes). However, there were numerous Incidents and Conflicts in space and on various planets between Forerunners and Selinianity in the times of the Human-Forerunner and the Foreunner-Flood Wars that demonstrated clearly to the Forerunners that pushing Selinianity too far would have very severe consequences as evidenced by the fates of other space-faring species that had unwisely started Wars with Selinianity. 'Selinian & Foreunner Relations' Given how Forerunners viewed the Galaxy and all other lifeforms in it, and that Selinians had a very 'opposite' view on the Galaxy, it was inevitable that the two civilizations would conflict with each other. Selinianity held to a perspective of Naturalism and Liberty, that Life governed itself innately and needed no over-arching 'authority' and that Liberty and Freedom were the primary Innate Birthrights of all Life. The Forerunners, holding to the perspective of The Mantle needless to say found Selinian views to be heretical and right from the start there was considerable friction. The difference in cultural perspectives could be easily seen in how they managed and kept their respective worlds. Where the Forerunners covered the land in metal and artificial structures, Selinianity always keep very sizable Green-Spaces and natural wilderness on their worlds--indeed, it would be very difficult for many to precisely state where a Selinian city began and Nature ended. Selinianity interfered with nature as little as possible, and only if needed. When they Seliniformed living worlds from lifeless, airless, sun-scorched rock they made them lush with life and did so with great care as each was a work of Mastercraft. In the main, Selinianity preferred to seliniform worlds --and on occasion entire star systems-- from base-level rather than impose themselves on life-bearing natural worlds. The reverence of Nature went so far as to the Adulthood Rite, a kill-or-be-killed contest in an arena between a 14 year old Selinian and a properly matched Ghost Cat so that it is a fair fight. A mandatory cultural requirement, it sees fully 35% of any given generation killed in the arena. It is not entertainment, and indeed is open only to Family and those Invited. It is done naked. One enters and fights only with what one was born with, and applies equally to males and females with no leniency given to any suffering from debilitating genetic conditions as time has shown that some of the least likely to survive, managed to win and went on to become Citizens of noteworthy talent in various fields. Selinianity in-turn saw the Forerunners as Authoritarian and tyrannical, opposing them from the initial contact with the Forerunners and with increasing aggressiveness towards the Forerunners as they pressed Selinianity to accept their place under The Mantle. While outright war was averted, it was only because Selinianity was really only interested in defensive operations and in keeping Forerunner influence out of their space--desiring only to be left alone. Focussed as they were on Defensive Operations there was really never any grounds for a War to get started as the Forerunners knew that they were the ones instigating things by repeatedly testing the patience of Selinianity. Additionally, the Ecumene had been in a Disarmament sentiment, and the Incidents with Selinianity had shown they were not given towards such themselves and fought in ways and with strategies and tactics that the Forerunners had trouble adapting to. What the Forerunners didn't know was that the Human-Forerunner War saved them from a backlash against the Forerunners by Selinianity that would have been unlike anything the Forerunners could have conceived of. Selinianity is not given to going to war without a very good and solid reason--they are not a 'Warrior Race' and don't think of themselves as such--but when they do go to War, it is with a ruthlessness, agression, hostility and determination that is truly a terrible thing. 'The War That Never Was' Shortly before the start of the Human-Forerunner War, Selinianity had been preparing to deliver a single, massive strike to the Ecumene that would have utterly destroyed Forerunner dominance in the Galaxy. What the Forerunners were facing was a species artificially-evolved from Predator stock, and one that practiced a pass-fail/die Adulthood Rite that every Selinian underwent at age 14. Selinians are Patient, and had been studying the Forerunners for a long time, and had so charted the Forerunner's psychology and technology that they had achieved a position from which they could have succeeded in a Decapitation-Strike. In short, the Forerunners were about to face every Selinian over the age of 14 in War, instead of a discrete Military. The magnitude of this is easy to underestimate, but as Selinianity had been spreading out, Seliniforming worlds, then star systems, bringing about Garden Worlds from lifeless rocks, they're population had been growing to suit. Selinians are born with an arsenal of bodyweapons, thus they are a naturally Armed species and personal weapons are very much the norm, notably the Ta'Zaakelh. Thus, every Selinian over the age of 14 is Armed with unspeakably lethal bodyweapons but the vast majority possess and wear Ta'Zakelh, or 'Personal Weapon'. 'Sideline Observors' (The Human-Forerunner War) When the Forerunners mistakenly went to War with Humanity, Selinianity was already aware of Humanity, from a few very tense Contact Incidents. All Selinianity really knew about Humanity was they held a large Empire and seemed somewhat paranoid and highly-aggressive. Selinianity wrote it off to Humans behaving with appropriate care and caution as they had done in similar manner and were quite prepared to relate on a similar level of aggression if they pushed first. Thus, Selinianity was unaware of the reason of Humanity's behaviour in-general: The Human-Flood War. When the Human-Forerunner War ignited, Selinianity stayed out of it. The issue wasn't all that clear and they made some mistaken assumptions as had the Forerunners about what Humanity had been doing when the Forerunners declared War. 'Secrets Found & Threats Revealed' During the period of time between the Human-Flood War/Human-Forerunner War and the Forerunner-Flood War the Sovereignty had been dispatching many scientific missions into Humanity's defeated Empire to seek out any and all Archeological evidence of Humanity's Civilization and History before the Forerunners finished expunging it all. Needless to say, the Forerunners weren't very tolerant of such, and while Forerunner forces were very hesitant to provoke a War with a species that hadn't been exhausted by War and had been growing largely unnoticed during the Human-Forerunner War, they did what they could to hamper Selinian efforts to preserve and record information on the Human Empire. Eventually, Scientific Missions were escorted by Military, and on occasion Sunajzh. There were Incidents during that period of time, with lives lost on both sides. The Prometheans however learned that Sovereignty Military and especially Sunajzh were not to be trifled with. 'Pride Goes Before The Fall' Selinianity managed to piece together a lot of evidence about Humanity, and carefully preserved it all. In the course of studying much of the information found amonst civilian possessions (including those from University scholars and such) was evidence of what had driven Humanity into provoking the Forerunners--then discovered that if the Forerunners had bothered to try communicating instead of blindly going to War, Humanity would have survived, but a War would have been avoided and The Flood wiped out. Alarmed, the Sovereignty Military opened a Research project to model data based off all the info they had from what they had seen of the Wars and raking through every scrap of info they had about Humanity. In some old reports filed with Insurance industry and related info, they found evidence of ships being stolen, failing to make port, yet not being reported as destroyed. Then realized that the Tactic was horribly familiar. In 2 major wars against non-Selinian species, Selinianity had sent 'Arks' out beyond the Galaxy's edge to wait out the conflict and if need-be, to rebuild the Selinian Species and Civilization. The Flood had undoubtedly done the same. When the Sovereignty tried to make the Forerunners aware of it, it was dismissed as wartime-Propaganda and such, with the Sovereignty delgates being nearly laughed out of Forerunner Space. 'Conspiracies Only Need Be Proven Once' The Sovereignty saw a storm on the horizon that might not come for some length of years, but nontheless, they saw it well enough that the Sovereignty began changing it's security protocols in and immediately around the Sovereignty, as well as assisting Sovereignty Systems in upgrading as well. The Forerunners took note of such in their long-range and risky Covert Intell/Surveillance, but simply ascribed it to their nighbours having finally learned to properly fear the Forerunners Wrath after the Example made of Humanity and it's Empire. 'Time Makes Fools Of Us All' When the Forerunners finally encountered The Flood, Selinianity had already solidly braced itself for what was coming, that they're tried to warn the Forerunners about. Selinianity had also been engaged in hunting down what Extragalactic Arks they could that had been proven to be a Fact during one incident during a failed Incursion into Sovereignty space. The Forerunners encountered The Flood, and immediately upon Selinianity suspecting such (from disruptions in observed Civilian traffic pattern and Covert Surveillance of Forerunner Military Comms) the Sovereignty was on a complete War footing with Sovereignty Military operating alongside System Militias. Selinianity knew what kind of Threat they were facing, and were prepared to fight the Forerunners simultaneously with The Flood...and Starsword-carrying vessels were assigned locales ideal for such an event. 'The Scourge & Selinian-Forerunner Relations During the War' During the War, the Sovereignty conserved it's forces by not offering any support to the embattled Forerunners, but did conduct their Intel and Surveillance missions to keep themselves updated on what was going on, and also acquire every scrap of useful information that would help them survive. Ark Fleets were doubled to 2 launchings per Century, and the Sovereignty Military grew as the Sovereignty didn't halt the steady expansion of itself and helped every star system keep their System Surveillance/Interceptor Networks up-to-date, and ensured not a single alien vessel survived crossing into Sovereignty space long enough to regret it, let alone cause trouble. In the course of the War, Selinianity worked on it's own to preserve what it could of worlds who had yet to be consumed by The Flood and built Installation Habitats similar to the HALO rings and Ark although such were purely intended as population shelters to preserve Selinianity and it's Civilization. As a measure against The Flood, Selinianity and the Machine Intelligences came up with Nanoviral Pseudo-Organic Macro-Organisms. Otherwise known as The Scourge. A 'weapon' so devastating, so Complete and Final that only the threat that The Flood presented was sufficient to inspire it. Based on Nanotechnology, and controlled via Quantume Entanglement by a Triumvirate of Machine Intelligences, the nanotech worked on Organic Matter--ANY Organic Matter--and deconstructed it, then re-purposed and re-constructed it towards the end of creations that were Inimical to The Flood, and wholly immune to The Flood. The Flood, for all it's vaunted 'computing power' was as overwhelmed by The Scourge as were other lifeforms by The Flood. The Forerunners learned of it, and attempted to capture an oceanic Macro-Form for study, assuming that it would be helpless out of the water, and found out first-hand just how dangerous The Scourge really was when it overwhelmed the crew of the science vessel within minutes of being brought on board, then modified the vessel itself into a Macro-Form by using it and the former crews Biomass. The Scourge was properly Intelligent, and even Sentient in it's own right, but absolutely subservient to the triumvirate that guided it. It was a Final Resort, employed only in the direst of need to stop cold any Flood incursions that found purchase in Sovereignty space. The Librarian formally protested it's use, and indeed it's existence, to the Sovereignty but was ignored although the Didact privately appreciated how absolute a defense and how perfect a Solution to The Flood it truly was. The activation of the Halo Array terminated every Macroform and nanovirus of the Scourge in the Galaxy in the same manner that it killed Flood and all other Life. However, small colonies survived in storage on the Homeworld, and if need be, The Scourge can be called forth again to deal with The Flood or a threat equal or worse than such. Forerunner-Sovereignty relations didn't improve during the War one bit, and there were a number of Incidents between Forerunner and Sovereignty forces that had nothing whatsoever to do with The Flood. The Forerunners, as desperation increased, sought to bend Selinianity to their will and The Mantle, intending to use their vast numbers and sivilization to th ends of defeating The Flood or at least buying more time to find a better and Final Solution. The reason for such is that Lifeworkers, in particular The Librarian, had discovered during analysis of Selinian DNA that they were a Genengineered species, albeit the level of mastery involved dwarfed that of the Forerunners to insignificance. But, the Fact remained...they had been Genengineered, and ostensibly as Living Weapons. By whom and for what reason, none knew, but this Fact simply made The Forerunners more certain than ever that they held sway over Selinianity by virtue of The Mantle. The Librarian spoke of caution in attempting to master the weapons of others, but her words held little meaning to those intent on using Selinianity seemingly for the very purpose they were created. The Incidents that resulted from such were essentially mini-Wars, fought from the perspective of neither side being willing to go all-out with The Flood looming menacingly. Also, Forerunner forces learned very well how adept Selinian Civilians were at defending themselves and in working with their Military. This meant very simply that Forerunner forces were outnumbered and consistently outmatched and if they stood their ground, Selinians had NO compunctions in killing them off to the last, and quite the opposite of the Ecumene, every Civilian in the Sovereignty space was armed with Military-level weapons or had ready access to them or otherwise effective armaments and equipment. 'Habitats of Redoubt' The Primary Habitat located above the Galaxy's north pole, fifty thousand LY above the center of the Galaxy was designated Adamantine Redoubt, and was built like two Forerunner Ark-type installations attached back to back. Equipped with Hyperdimensional FtL 'Jump' drives the Primary Habitats, like the smaller ring-shaped Secondary Habitats were capable of repositioning themselves if needed. The Forerunners noted the activity of the Sovereignty, and said little about it, occupied as they were in battling the Flood. What was known after an ill-fated Forerunner attempt at close-range surveillance was that the area of space out to five light-seconds around any Sovereignty Habitat was instant death without warning to any non-Selinian vessel. Each and every Habitat had a multi-layered and exceedingly formidable Defense Network protecting it. The Sovereignty isolated itself from the rest of the Galaxy, and only vessels operated by Machine Intelligences were permitted to leave Sovereignty space and return as they ranged the depths and continued to build support infrastructure like mining, automated research stations and the like outside Sovereignty space. Some of these were given towards analysis of The Flood and studying Precursor artifacts and ruins. Flood Research facilities were fully automated and utterly inhospitable to life, orbitting hot, blue giant stars. In the event a problem occured, the facility could be dropped into the star. Long Range sensors and Covert Surveillance kept the Sovereignty aware and informed as to how badly things were going for the Forerunners...and alerted the Sovereignty to a horror against which The Flood paled to insignificance. 'Desperate Times and Desperate Measures' Upon learning of the Forerunners intent to deploy weapon systems that would eradicate all life in the Galaxy above the microorganism level, Selinianity wasted no time trying to argue with the Forerunners, instead the Machine Intelligences began analysis work to ferret out what the Forerunners were building and how to shield against it. Most alarmingly was how little time there was before projections showed that the Forerunners would indeed use the weapon. It took time, and in the end, only one world could be protected, and even then imperfectly. The homeworld of Selinianity was hastily englobed in a satellite network that would generate the experimental shield and became an Ark-World, even as all the Habitats jumped well clear of the Galaxy, some out to a million LY away to wait out the coming storm. Many sought refuge aboard military vessels that jumped well clear of the Galaxy laden with supplies and protecting support fleets. Then, the Forerunners activated the Array and sterilized the Galaxy. 'The Sovereignty & The Post-Activation Galaxy' The Effect swept through Sovereignty space as it did all other space, and instantaneously exterminated all life more advanced than a flatworm. Forerunners, Flood, Selinians, and countless billions of other species were swept from the Galactic stage in a cataclysmic instant. Outside the range of the Effect, those who'd fled, watched the entire Galaxy glow with a consuming fire of exotic radiation and mourned the unspeakable loss of life. When the Effect had waned and faded to nothing, they returned, to the only world with Life still on it--the Homeworld and others headed for the Habitats to join the populations there, unwilling to face the annhilation wrought by the Forerunners. The experimental shield protecting the Homeworld had worked, but imperfectly, and millions died in agony, slowly. However billions survived. The Machine Intelligences helped their organic counterparts as the shocked species recovered and started to collect itself and set about rebuilding and in this time the Sovereignty truly became a Hybrid Civilization. The Galaxy was Quiet now though...all that stirred was either Selinian or the automated re-seeder vessels of the Forerunners that the Sovereignty did not interfere with. Selinianity had plenty of work to keep itself busy with, rebuilding the ecosystems of all the Seliniformed worlds and natural worlds in the Sovereignty, resettling them, and rebuilding it's population. Out of nearly a trillion Selinians, only five billion and some had survived. The Sovereignty knew Peace after a long time of not having it, albeit at a terrible cost to the Galaxy. For a span of time, the entire species laboured under a broad form of 'survivor's guilt'. Eventually, this passed and Selinianity began once more moving ahead with Life rather than grieving. 'New Threats Emerge' The Covenant went largely unnoticed by the Sovereignty as the San' Shyuum set about the course in history that would come to form it. They had been aware of the species the Forerunners had preserved and re-seeded, but as always remained out of other's affairs in a manner of respect for other civilizations that may not want to make Contact. However, Covenant exploration in a never-ending search for Forerunner relics brought them into accidental contact with the Sovereignty, and while relations started off well enough, when it came to light that Selinianity had known the Forerunners and indeed had survived the 'Great Journey' as the Covenant referred to the activation of the HALO array, relations changed--as the very existence of Selinianity was a direct threat to the entire religion and thus the underpinnings of Covenant society, just as Humanity would be seen as, due to their status as Reclaimers. However, the Covenant was utterly unprepared for what occured upon their provocation of the Sovereignty. Thinking that the Sovereignty was nowhere near as large as it was, and being utterly unaware of what Selinian culture was truly like, the first attack against a Colony system known as Bright Star Dawning Rain went catastrophically wrong for Covenant forces as the entire population joined the dedicated Military in fighting the Covenant forces, and when the Rapid Tactical Response Fleet jumped in a few hours later after the start of hostilities, the attacker's fates were sealed. 'Sovereignty-Covenant War: 1774 C.E' The abysmal failure of the attack against a colony system of the Sovereignty led immediately to the Sovereignty preparing for all-out War, and sent envoys to the Covenant to make it very clear that the Sovereignty had withstood far worse threats and that if the Covenant didn't leave the Sovereignty in peace, the resulting War would be something the likes of which the Covenant couldn't imagine. As a 'demonstration', 13 BattleCarriers jumped into striking-range of important Covenant worlds, ran targetting-sweeps, then Jumped out before Covenant forces could respond properly. The 'demonstration' made one thing crystal-clear to the Covenant's Leadership...they were completely outmatched technologically and if the Sovereignty had been so disposed, they could have burned 13 worlds and done a very serious amount of damage to the Covenant's economy and supply infrastructure. However, the demonstration did provoke a more determined and better-planned attack against the Sovereignty as the Covenant could not be seen to be weak by it's member species and population. The follow-up attack was a major engagement hitting several systems simultaneously, and in each system they met the same dedicated and determined no-holds-barred resistance as had the first attack. The 'War' lasted less than a week, and saw the Covenant forces entirely outmatched and outnumbered. Desperate to both avoid a reprisal strike that would be everything the Sovereignty envoys had spoken of and more, and also to save face and keep the Covenant intact, the Prophets managed to work a deal with the Sovereignty; In exchange for the Sovereignty agreeing to a cover story that this had all been a 'Terrible Mistake' the Covenant would never trouble the Sovereignty again. The Sovereignty, not interested in wasting resources and Selinian lives if it could be avoided, accepted the deal--with a Warning; If the Covenant ever broke the Agreement, every Covenant world would be burned clean of life, every space installation reduced to wreckage, and extinction assured for every species in the Covenant. After what the Covenant had seen of Sovereignty vessels and weapons, they took the Warning at full-value. 'Contact: Humanity' 2525 CE was when Deep Range Reconaissance Vessels of the Sovereignty discovered massive traffic pattern shifts in their Military and began shadowing some vessels in order to find out the reason why. In the course of events, the DRRV assigned to shadow a Covenant Cruiser witnessed the UNSC colony of Eridanus II as it is glassed by the Covenant. Stealth reconaissance probe drones relay what's happening groundside before they are destroyed by the process and this information is directly relayed via Quantum Entanglement Comms to the Sovereignty. The report, and others over time as shadowing of Covenant Military vessels was increased, proved a long-held suspicion of Selinianity's that the Covenant was ruthless, hostile, and utterly expansionistic and Imperialistic. Once in the mainstream awareness, some star systems expressed and interest in helping the beleagured aliens the Covenant was attacking, especially given the closeness of appearance between Selinians and the new found species called 'Humans'. The similarity of appearance lit many discussions in the Sovereignty's science community and covert archeological research projects were approved to learn more about this new species from the remains found in the worlds the Covenant glassed or otherwise took from Humanity. Prolonged deliberation and popular sentiment kept the Sovereignty from officially supporting Humanity and declaring war on the Covenant...but at the same time, numerous systems chose to lend what assistance and support they could, covertly, despite popular sentiment. It was understood that those systems doing so, did so at entirely their own risk, and that if the Covenant struck back, they'd be standing alone against them and would recieve no Military aid from the Sovereignty. The Sovereignty, had other plans. knowing that the systems willing to throw-in and join the fight might very well be discovered, the Sovereignty quietly and completely prepared for all-out War with the Covenant. The Warning given to the systems attempting to assist Humanity had been only to serve to heighten the care and caution of those systems in their works. Also, some dispensation on the part of the Sovereignty was made in acquiring and handing off Intel on the Covenant to the systems determined to help Humanity survive. Thus, the stage was set for the unlikely and Unseen allies Humanity had in their battle for survival against the Covenant. 'The War In The Shadows' A total of five star systems put themselves on the line to support Humanity as best as could be done, without alerting the Covenant to what was happening, for if such happened, the consequences they knew would be dire--especially for Humanity. Sovereignty Law had long held that Civilian Starships had to maintain a Minimum Arsenal to be Licensed. This was a natural outgrowth of the view of weapons by a species born with inbuilt weapons, including projectile-type in the form of tongue-darts. As a result, little refitting was needed to turn some transports and freighters into solidly combat-worthy vessels, surpassing anything the UNSC had and capable of engaging Covenant vessels. Some long-obsolete Military vessels were acquired, refit, and made part of the Militia Humanitas. Vessels in such were given the 'MHSS' designator for 'Militia Humanitas StarShip'. 'Unseen Saviours' During the entire time of the Human-Covenant War, the Militia Humanitas managed to remain unsuspected and when they struck, they struck with Finality, leaving death and useless wreckage in their wake. Because of their activity and lethality, more than a few attacks against remaining Human Inner Colonies were either halted before they began, or were stopped by reason of cost-consciousness on the part of the Covenant and ships were saved for more important targets. Innovative and frighteningly destructive weapons were built from Slipspace engines, and left as 'Mines' around Covenant repair and resupply stations, Stealthed, they were set to go into a catastrophic overload on activation and form a massive, uncontrolled Slipspace rupture, destroying ships and stations utterly. Decoy-Strikes were done, where a skirmishing attack was merely a cover for a Stealthed Antimatter charge to be left on a ship's hull, mimetically blending in near-perfectly, and detonating at opportune times in proximity to other vessels. Obsolete starships were easily acquired by the MH and some included the 'Avenging Talon' Class Fast Attack Ship. These ships were half the size of a UNSC frigate, but carried some of the best power-to-weight ratios and weapons to be found. Designed to be incredibly fast, agile and responsive, they carried little in the way of armor, and relied mainly on blindingly fast, precision, attacks. 'Selinian Technology & Sciences' As survivors of the greatest cataclysm in galactic history, Selinian sciences and technology never underwent a fall or regression, but for a very long time progress all but totally halted as the species was busy with reclamation efforts and there was little impetus for progress and improvement thus what technology and such existed up to that point underwent a prolonged period of refinement instead. However, while progress had slowed to a crawl, it did not halt entirely and it was more a time of consolidation and such regarding progress made to the point just prior to the HALO Activation. However, in time, the creative spirit and drive arose again, driven by new needs and challenges and technological progress picked up and marched on. New explorations of the Galaxy began, and enormous Multisprectral Optical and Radiometric/Quantum Interferometric telescopes were set up outside the Galaxy to peer deeper into the Universe's secrets and depths. Progress continued, new technologies developed and previous ones refined to their apotheosis and the Sovereignty was largely untroubled aside from incidents between Sovereignty star systems now and then, and scientists watched the worlds the Forerunners had re-seeded without interfering in them. Some missions were sent into Forerunner space, to study what they'd left behind, but otherwise they disturbed the remnants of their fallen neighbour's realm as little as possible. Portions of formerly Forerunner space and Human Empire space gradually came under under the Sovereignty as it continued to grow, but slower now than before. 'Overview of Selinian Technology' Selinian technology developed independently of the Precursors and Forerunners and some is very distinct in both operating physics and principles, and is both phenomenally powerful, yet amazingly subtle. Selinian technology is highly refined and exceedingly durable, more so than even Forerunner constructs. They are very much a fully Tier 1 Civilization, edging into Tier 0. 'Particle/Antiparticle Synthesis' VARIES Instead of carrying around immense fuel tanks of volatile and dangerous antimatter, Sovereignty vessels make use of a system based on M-AM Particle Synthesis. However, due to immense refinement and a very in-depth knowledge of Quantum and Particle Physics, the process used aboard their vessels operates in the Kilowatt-range and produces useful amounts of fuel (Particle/Antiparticle pairs) in short spans of time, typically a Kg/minute under normal circumstances but can reach 1 Kg/sec when brought to the Megawatt range. Thus, vessels ony keep a small reserve to handle sudden transient changes in fuel demand, which are far easier to make fail-safe. Other versions of this are used for Industrial purposes in custom-designing and producing synthetic elements and alloys of such that are otherwise impossible to realize. 'Interatomic Nuclear Force Enhancement' Imagine a sheet of aluminum foil, now, if one were to enhance it's interatomic nuclear bonding forces by 1000X, making it 1000x stronger what could you make with such a material?? The Sovereignty discovered and refined this aspect of physics to it's highest form, allowing for materials vastly stronger than anything found in nature, and allowing for incredibly durable yet lightweight armor and machinery and alloys of incredible purity and sophistication by altering the nuclear binding forces during production in absolutely Gravity-Free Environments. 'Dark'/Exotic Matter/Energy Another avenue of their sciences allowed for the generation, control and manipulation of such aspects of reality as so-called 'Dark' Matter & Energy. This opening other avenues to Selinianity, such as more aspects of Quantum Phenomena and control of such. Including Hyperspacial Weapons, weapons that operate at FtL speed across distance, but so unspeakably destructive that aside from a few tests, they have never been deployed. However, this science and related technology found it's way into improving many others, refining the understanding of still more, and showed the Universe in better perspective to Selinianity than anything they'd ever dared to hope for. Such as Matter that could be made non-reactive to Antimatter, owing to a Quantum Stasis Effect on the Atomic and deep sub-Atomic levels that allowed Antimatter to be stored as easily as water or nitrogen gas, depending on it's state, eliminating magnetic containment in all but a few applications. 'Dimensional Physics aka: 'Flatspace Similar to Forerunner technology, yet operating on very different principles, Selinianity has mastered 'Discrete Dimensional Engineering', using dimensional space outside the Relativistic (Normal) 4D realm for a variety of purposes. Where the Forerunners use Slipspace and it's various realms, Selinianity prefers to use variants of Calabi-Yau space and engineered 'Non-Space', in a manner similar to opening a wormhole, then closing one end and stabilizing it as a region utterly devoid of space and time in the conventional sense. This along with Nuclear-Force Control, Nano and Microtech is what allows a Selinian woman to walk around seemingly wearing very little, yet in the blink of an eye, at need, her clothing can deploy the rest of itself and protect her with the equivalent of a Mjolnir Mk-VI, as example. It's also employed on many vessels, allowing starships and other vehicles to carry advanced, heavy armor protection yet keep it stored away when not needed and eliminating the penalties for such under non-combat conditions. 'Microtechnology and Nanotechnology''' Both technologies have been long used in Selinian civilization, and have reached heights of sophistication, safety, and complexity undreamt of even by the Forerunners. Combined with the other technologies and sciences these two related technologies have allowed for unprecedented developments, and have been extensively utilized by the Machine Intelligence Community. Insect-sized automata carry swarms of nanobots as roving maintenance and repair systems on starships and elsewhere across the Sovereignty, in fact, it's very unusual to find any Selinian creation that does not have an innate auto-repair/maintenance system like such. In use in all clothing and especially Military armor, the tech is responsible for healing and preserving the life of the wearer ahead of structural repairs and such to the armor/clothing, unless such is necessary for the survival of the wearer (a toxic armosphere and a suit breach as example).